Each of the top eight seeds advanced to the third round of the Division I Women's Soccer Championship, with relative ease, but there were a few surprising second round results on Nov. 15 as a quartet of No. 3 and No. 4 seeds were ousted.

Four unseeded teams - Wisconsin, Virginia, Oregon State and Texas A&M - extended their season for one more week with upsets of No. 3 UCF, No. 4 Penn State, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 LSU, respectively.

Wisconsin's Roxanne Carlson came off the bench to score her first career goal against the UCF Knights as the Badgers moved on to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1993.  The Badgers outshot the Knights 19-6 as they extended their unbeaten streak to nine games (5-0-4) - the program's longest since 1996.  Wisconsin is the lone remaining Big Ten squad in the NCAA Tournament field, and will now face No. 2 Boston College on Nov. 20.

Oregon State is making its first-ever appearance in the third round of the NCAA Tournament following a 1-0 upset of Florida in Columbus, Ohio.  Melinda Ingalls netted the contest's only goal in overtime.  The Beavers, who were one of eight Pac-10 squads selected to the 64-team bracket, join top-seeded Stanford and UCLA as the league's three surviving teams.  OSU now travels to No. 2 Notre Dame on Nov. 20 to face last year's NCAA runner-up. 

In just one of two first and second round contests to be decided by penalty kicks last weekend, Texas A&M topped LSU, 4-2, after a 1-1 deadlock following regulation and overtime.  Junior goalkeeper Kelly Dyer made a key save on LSU All-American Malorie Rutledge's penalty kick attempt, helping send the Aggies to the Round of 16 for the 10^th time in program history.  The Aggies will meet No. 1 seeded Florida State on Nov. 20 as they continue their quest of advancing to the NCAA Women's College Cup, which will be held on their home field in College Station, Texas.

In probably the biggest comeback of the NCAA Tournament so far, Virginia rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit, netting six unanswered goals in a 20-minute stretch to notch a 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Penn State as the Cavaliers advanced to the Round of 16 for the fifth straight year.  The victory was the first for Virginia when trailing by two goals since a 4-3 win over Duke in 2000.  The Cavaliers are one of seven Atlantic Coast Conference teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament.  Virginia will travel to top-seeded UCLA on Nov. 20 for a third round contest.

The four top seeds -- Stanford, UCLA, North Carolina and Florida State -- cruised through the first two rounds of play as advertised, combining to allow just two goals in eight games.  Can the higher-seeded teams continue their success as the competition gets stiffer?  We'll find out soon as seven of the eight third round contests are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 20, while ACC foes North Carolina and Maryland will battle on Nov. 21.

Check out if you're team is still in contention for the national title on the Interactive Bracket:

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2009/ncaa_bracket_DI_soccer_women.html

It's no secret that Florida State has been one of the toughest teams in women's soccer over the past several seasons, but now the Seminoles have climbed one step higher on the national scene as they were selected as one of four No. 1 national seeds for the first time in school history.

The Seminoles' success this can be attributed to many factors, but the productive combination of forwards Tiffany McCarty and Jessica Price has served as an integral part of the team's winning equation.

McCarty and Price are responsible for 72 (28 goals, 16 assists) of FSU's 176 total points this year, accounting for more than 40 percent of the team's scoring.  McCarty, a sophomore from Laurel, Md., leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 1.81 points per game, while Price, a redshirt sophomore from Libertyville, Ill., follows with 1.62 points per game.  

One of the pair has recorded a point in 15 of 21 games this season, and in eight games both players have netted a goal.  Seven times this year, McCarty and Price have combined to score a goal.  McCarty has assisted on a Price goal five times, while Price has found McCarty twice.

Read more here: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/111209aaa.html

So, after digesting the Division I Women's Soccer Championship bracket for the last couple days, there will some interesting match-ups in the first round of play on Nov. 13.  Will there be any upsets?  Will the top seeds roll?  Who will prevail when the 64-team field gets cut in half on Friday? 

I picked four of my favorite match-ups to take a closer look at:

No. 3 seed UCF vs. Milwaukee

Madison, Wis., 6 p.m. ET

Two of the hottest teams in the nation will square off when UCF and Milwaukee tangle on Friday.  UCF, holding a No. 3 national seed, won 10 straight games before suffering a 3-0 loss to Memphis in the Conference USA championship game.  The Knights are making their 14^th overall and third consecutive NCAA appearance after putting together a 16-4-1 records against one of the toughest schedules in the nation.  The four losses and tie came against opponents that made the NCAA Tournament field (LSU, North Carolina, South Carolina, Memphis - 2 times).

UW-Milwaukee rolls into the contest versus UCF on a 10-game winning streak after posting a perfect 8-0-0 record in the Horizon League and claiming the tournament title last weekend.  The Panthers (12-5-3) are making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, but are searching for their first postseason win.  They have compiled an 0-6-2 record in postseason play, although advancing to the second round on penalty kicks in 2005 and 2006.  Sophomore Sarah Hagen paces the nation with 24 goals, and has contributed a point in a school-record 12 consecutive contests.

Marquette vs. Dayton

Dayton, Ohio, 8 p.m. ET

The Golden Eagles will fly into Ohio on a mission to be the first team to defeat Dayton this season.  Marquette (15-5-2) won the BIG EAST American Division title, and was riding a seven-game unbeaten streak before Notre Dame handed them a 2-1 setback in the title game of the BIG EAST Tournament.  The Golden Eagles are making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, and second straight.   Sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Kulla boasts a program-record 15 shutouts and a 0.53 goals against average.

The Flyers enter the NCAA Tournament with the longest current unbeaten streak in the nation at 21 games (16-0-5), and are fresh off winning the Atlantic-10 Championship against Charlotte last weekend.  Dayton is playing in the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2004.

UNC-Wilmington vs. Georgia

Chapel Hill, N.C., 7:30 p.m. ET

Georgia (14-5-1) has advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year for the first time in school history after putting together a winning record (7-4) against Southeastern Conference competition for the third consecutive year for the first time in program history.  The Bulldogs have lost three of their last five games, albeit to a trio of SEC teams - Florida, Auburn and South Carolina - that are also NCAA Tournament participants.

The Seahawks have made history this season after tying a program record with 13 victories, and capturing the Colonial Athletic Association Championship to earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.  UNC-Wilmington is riding a five-game winning streak entering the contest between the two first-time opponents.

Central Michigan vs. Purdue

South Bend, Ind., 5 p.m.

Central Michigan enters its first NCAA Tournament on a 17-match unbeaten streak (14-0-3) thanks to a stellar defense that leads the nation with 18 shutouts.  The Chippewas (16-3-3) posted shutouts in all three of their Mid-American Conference Tournament contests to claim the crown.

The Boilermakers (12-5-3) are making their fourth postseason appearance in last five after finishing fourth in the Big Ten standings.  Purdue is led by the winningest senior class in school history (.711 winning percentage), and will challenge CMU's defense with an attack that led the conference in goals scored.  However, Purdue has fallen by shutout in two of its last five games - both losses coming to league foes that have qualified for the NCAA Tournament - Ohio State and Penn State.

Find which match-up intrigues YOU the most by checking out the NCAA.com interactive bracket or play the NCAA.com Bracket Challenge and try to pick the winner of the 2009 NCAA Women's College Cup.

Interactive Bracket:

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2009/ncaa_bracket_DI_soccer_women.html

NCAA.com Bracket Challenge:

http://www.ncaa.com/games

Okay, we're in - so now what?  That question will be answered for the 30 automatic qualifiers on the Division I Women's Soccer Championship Selection Show tonight (Nov. 9) at 8 p.m. ET live on ESPNews.

Teams all of the country will gather to watch the 64-team bracket announcement whether they are on the bubble hoping to have secured one of the last 34 at-large spots, or just wondering where and who they will be playing this weekend.

There were some surprise outcomes in conference tournaments over the weekend, many of which will have an impact on at-large bids and seeding in the much-anticipated bracket.  Here's a look at some of the highlights from conference championship weekend:

·         Oklahoma State, the fifth-seed in the Big 12 Tournament, claimed the championship with a 1-0 victory over No. 2 Texas A&M - the Cowgirls' first-ever victory over the Aggies.  OSU has won eight straight games after a 7-7 start and will be making its fourth consecutive NCAA appearance.

·         Third-seeded Memphis won three games in the Conference USA Championship, including shutouts of the league's top two teams UCF and Colorado College, as the Tigers captured their third straight league title last weekend.  The Tigers have posted a school-record 12 shutouts on the year.

·         UNC-Wilmington won its first-ever Colonial Athletic Association title with a 1-0 victory over James Madison on Sunday.  The Seahawks have tallied a school-record 13 wins this season.

·         Seventh-seeded High Point downed Winthrop 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 double overtime tie as the Panthers earned the Big South's automatic NCAA bid.  The Panthers are 5-1-1 over the last seven games, and have given up just two goals during the stretch, despite a 7-14-2 overall record this season.

·         San Diego State will be making its first NCAA appearance since 1999 after upending top-seeded BYU in Provo for the Mountain West Conference title.  It was the Aztecs' first victory at BYU in 11.

·         IUPUI secured its first-ever NCAA berth after knocking off top-seeded South Dakota State, 4-1, in the Summit League Tournament championship game on Sunday.  It is the Jaguars' first league title in the 12-year history of the program.

It was a rocky beginning for Notre Dame this year, but the Irish rebounded from the uncharacteristic start to be once again considered one of the top teams in the nation this season.

The Irish suffered a stretch in September that included three shutout losses in four games, albeit to perennial powers North Carolina, Stanford and Santa Clara. 

At the time, Notre Dame was also working through some key injuries, losing senior midfielders Courtney Rosen and Micaela Alvarez for the season, while senior forward Michele Weissenhofer was sidelined for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury.

"I think early on we played a couple games and we got through it, but then all of a sudden you jump in and play the type of caliber teams that we were playing, we really struggled offensively," said head coach Randy Waldrum.  "The main thing we struggled with was getting anybody upfront that could really hold the ball for us long enough for us to make some kind of counter or build-up in our attack.  That's where we got exposed a lot early."

"It turned our world upside down because we're used to winning games and having those high standards," said junior Lauren Fowlkes.  "At the time it was really hard, but it was definitely beneficial for the team."

Read more here: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/110509aab.html

America East Conference - Boston U.

Atlantic Coast Conference - North Carolina

Atlantic Sun Conference - Kennesaw State

Atlantic 10 Conference - Dayton

Big East Conference - Notre Dame

Big Sky Conference - Northern Arizona

Big South Conference - High Point

Big Ten Conference - Penn State

Big 12 Conference - Oklahoma State

Big West Conference - UC Santa Batbara

Colonial Athletic Association - UNC-Wilmington

Conference USA - Memphis

Horizon League - Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Ivy Group - Harvard

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference - Loyola University (Md.)

Mid-American Conference - Central Michigan

Missouri Valley Conference - Illinois State

Mountain West Conference - San Diego State

Northeast Conference - Monmouth

Ohio Valley Conference - Murray State

Pacific-10 Conference - Stanford

Southeastern Conference - South Carolina

Southern Conference - Davidson

Southland Conference - Southeastern Louisiana

Southwestern Athletic Conference - Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Sun Belt Conference - Denver

The Patriot League - Colgate

The Summit League - IUPUI

West Coast Conference - Portland

Western Athletic Conference - Boise State

The pace is beginning to pick for me and all of the national committee members as we prepare for selection weekend for the 2009 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.  Our committee has been busy since September working with our respective regional committees to rank the top 10 teams in each region. 

We have been meeting by teleconference every two weeks to update each other on how things are shaping up in the various regions - expanded this year to 8 as compared to six in previous years.  The Pacific, South and Southeast regions have all looked very strong so far.  It will be interesting to see any possible changes when we hold our last national committee call on November 5 before reporting to Indianapolis for selection weekend on November 7. 

This time of year, conference tournaments play a major role in the selection process.  With 64 bids to the women's championship available and 30 of those being held for automatic qualifying conferences, that leaves only 34 "at-large" bids.  Bubble teams across the country will all be rooting for league favorites in these tournaments to maximize the number of at-large berths.  Upsets in conference tournaments often decrease the number of available at-large berths when a team that would probably not have received a tournament bid wins their respective conference tournament and the accompanying automatic bid.   Those same bubble teams can also use their conference tournament to improve their profile.  Just last year, Penn State winning the Big Ten Tournament and Missouri winning the Big 12 Tournament had a positive impact on their selection and seeding.

When the committee does get behind closed doors in Indianapolis, the selection and seeding of teams for the championship will be driven by three primary criteria.  The first is the team's RPI - which consists of their winning percentage and their strength of schedule, the second is their head-to-head results against other teams being considered for selection, and third is a comparison with other teams under consideration of their results against common opponents.   The hardest call for the committee is in comparing teams with very similar profiles, but no head-to-head results and no common opponents.  That is when we often have to turn to our secondary selection/seeding criteria which includes results against teams already selected for the tournament and late season performance (last 8 games). 

We're looking forward to an exciting week of women's soccer as the NCAA Championship field begins taking shape, and the committee gets ready for the unveiling of the 64-team bracket on Monday, November 9 (8 p.m. ET, ESPNews). 

Paul Bradshaw

Division I Women's Soccer Championship Committee Chair

Baylor Associate AD / Internal Affairs

We are heading to the last week of Division I women's soccer action before NCAA Championship selections are announced on Monday, Nov. 9, as the national landscape should become a little clearer as regular season play and conference tournaments come to a close.

Top-ranked Stanford clinched at least a share of its first Pac-10 title since 2002, securing the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament as the Cardinal swept through Arizona State and Arizona last weekend.  Senior Kelley O'Hara tied the school's single-season goal record of 20, while breaking the program's single-season point mark of 49 in a 4-0 win versus Arizona on Nov. 1.

Stanford can claim the outright league title with a draw against California on Nov. 8, or a UCLA draw or loss in the Bruins' two final regular season contests.

After nipping then-No. 14 Santa Clara 1-0 last weekend, second-ranked Portland will enter its final regular season match against San Diego on a 10-game winning streak.  If the Pilots defeat USD, they will secure the program's league-best 11th West Coast Conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  The game will be televised live on ESPNU on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. PT.

The BIG EAST championship field was narrowed down to four teams over the weekend, and will continue with the semifinals on Nov. 6 at the University of Connecticut.  Marquette will square off against West Virginia in the first match set for 5 p.m. ET, while Notre Dame and St. John's will meet in the second match set for approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.  The games will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports.  Notre Dame blanked USF, 5-0, to advance to the semifinals as the Irish stretched their unbeaten streak to 13 games (12-0-1).  They are in search of their 11^th BIG EAST tournament title.

No. 8 Central Florida won its ninth straight game with a 4-0 victory over Southern Miss on Oct. 30 to claim their first outright Conference USA regular season title.

Florida State and Boston College finished in a tie for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings as both programs won their first-ever league regular season titles.  The Seminoles were awarded the top seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament by virtue of a head-to-head win over the Eagles earlier this year.

Florida earned its fourth straight Southeastern Conference regular season title after a 3-0 win against No. 13 South Carolina as the Gators collected their 10^th championship in the 15-year program history.  The SEC Tournament runs Nov. 4-8, and all matches leading up to the championship game will be streamed live on SECSports.com and can be viewed free of charge.  The championship match will be aired on ESPNU on Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. ET.

Ohio State and Penn State will both be vying to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title as they enter the final weekend with identical 7-1-1 league records.  The Buckeyes are looking for their first regular season title in program history as they head to Michigan State on Nov. 6, while Penn State goes for its 12^th straight Big Ten championship at Michigan on Nov. 8. 

Tournament Two-Step

·         Loyola University Maryland claimed the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title with a 3-2 victory over Niagara on Nov. 2 to become the first automatic qualifier for the NCAA College Cup this season.  The Greyhounds came back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to win the game as they stretched their unbeaten streak to 14 games (12-0-2).

·         Northeastern earned its first regular season Colonial Athletic Association title with a 4-0 victory over Hofstra on Oct. 31, earning the top seed in the league tournament beginning Nov. 6.  The Huskies are the reigning CAA Tournament champions after edging Hofstra, 1-0, in double-overtime last year.

·         Boston University and Binghamton will meet for the America East title on Nov. 7 with an NCAA Tournament bid up for grabs.  The Terriers are looking for their third consecutive league title, while Binghamton is in the championship game for the first time since 2004. Free live video streaming will be available at the new AmericaEast.tv.

·         The No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Championship is still in contention due to a three-way tie in the standings.  Kansas and Texas Tech will meet in a play-in game on Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. CT to decide who will meet top-seeded Missouri in a quarterfinal match-up on Nov. 4.

·         Dayton completed its first-ever unbeaten season (14-0-5) with a school-record 14 shutouts to earn its first regular season Atlantic 10 title since 2004 and a bye in the first round of the tournament. 

·         BYU will host the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Nov. 4-7 after clinching its sixth regular season title with a 6-0-1 against league foes this season.  The Cougars earned a bye to the semifinals on Nov. 5.

·         Texas State is the top-seeded team in the Southland Conference Tournament for the second straight year.  The Bobcats have not lost a regular season league contest since 2007.  They will play the winner of Sam Houston State and UTSA on Nov. 6.

Portland women's soccer player Danielle Foxhoven (photo by Will Crew) takes her job seriously and she does it well.

Her "job" of scoring goals - actually lots of goals -- has helped the second-ranked Pilots compile a 16-1-0 overall record and flawless mark against West Coast Conference opponents.  It has also garnered Foxhoven a lot of attention in the women's soccer community as she has earned three National Player of the Week awards and four WCC weekly honors. 

The sophomore from Littleton, Colo., leads the nation with 1.313 goals and 3.13 points per game after netting six tallies and dishing out two assists in a pair of victories over Saint Mary's and San Francisco last week.  With four goals against USF, she became the first Portland player to ever score four goals in a game twice in one season.

Read more about Foxhoven and the Pilots here:  

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/102909aaa.html

It may feel like the soccer season just started, but some conferences are already gearing up for tournament time as the BIG EAST, America East Conference, Mid-American Conference, Atlantic Sun Conference, Horizon League and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship tournaments all get underway this week.

Notre Dame and Marquette are the No. 1 seeds in their respective BIG EAST divisions, receiving byes until the quarterfinals on Nov. 1.  First round action begins Oct. 29.  The University of Connecticut will host the championship round on Nov. 6-8, and the semifinals will be televised live on CBS College Sports at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 6.

Boston University earned a bye after claiming its second straight regular season America East title, and will be seeking its third straight tournament championship.  The Terriers will host the winner of Albany-Stony Brook in semifinal action on Nov. 1.

In the MAC, Central Michigan wraps up regular season play at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 29, before hosting the winner of Kent State-Western Michigan in the tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 1.  The Chippewas are riding a 13-match unbeaten streak (12-0-1) and have posted 12 straight shutouts, which is tied for the second-longest streak in NCAA Division I history.  They have not allowed a goal in 1227:26.

First round action begins this weekend in the Atlantic Sun Conference, and winners will move on to face No. 1 Kennesaw State and No. 2 Belmont on Nov. 5.  KSU has won three of the last four regular season titles, and will host the championship round.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee became the first-ever Horizon League team to post a flawless 8-0-0 record, and will host the semifinal and final games on Nov. 6-8.  Milwaukee is the defending tournament champion, and leads the league in scoring with 2.39 goals per game.  Quarterfinal action begins on Nov. 1.

The MAAC crowns its league champion in just a few days with the final game scheduled for Nov. 2.  Loyola University Maryland finished the league schedule with a perfect 9-0-0 mark, and rides an 11-game unbeaten streak into the tournament.  The Greyhounds were also the top seed in last year's tournament, but fell to Fairfield, 3-0 in the championship game.

Around the nation, other conference races will come down to the last weekend of regular season action. 

In the Patriot League, Colgate will host League-leading Bucknell on Oct. 31, with each team having a chance to clinch the top seed and home field advantage in the tournament with a win. If the teams tie, Bucknell will be the top seed in the championship tournament next week.

Florida International University is riding an unbeaten streak of nine games, and sits in first place in the Sun Belt Conference.  The Golden Panthers can clinch the league's No. 1 if they defeat Florida Atlantic on Oct. 30.

Florida, LSU and South Carolina are still all in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.  Each team has one game remaining as LSU visits Arkansas and Florida hosts South Carolina on Oct. 30.   Florida enters the weekend with a league-leading 23 points, while LSU and South Carolina sit in second place with 22 points.

The Colonial Athletic Association regular season title is up for grabs as first-place Hofstra and second-place Northeastern tangle on Oct. 31.  The two teams met in last year's CAA Tournament championship game, which Northeaster won, 1-0. 

Florida State enters the weekend as the first place team in the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference, but the Seminoles will go on the road to Virginia Tech and Virginia as they try to remain on top.  Four league teams are ranked in the nation's Top 10.

We'll be sure to keep you posted as the 64-team NCAA Championship bracket unfolds and teams automatically qualify over the final stretch before selections are announced on Monday, November 9.

BIG WIN IN BIG TEN

No. 19 Ohio State remained in control of first place in the Big Ten standings with a crucial 1-0 victory over then-No. 18 Purdue on Oct. 25 as the Buckeyes ended a seven-game losing streak to the Boilermakers.

The Buckeyes, who are 6-1-1 in Big Ten play, are off to the best start in school history at 13-2-2.  Ohio State is riding a six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) as it enters its final home game against Indiana on Nov. 1. 

"It is a big win for everybody on our team because nobody here has been able to beat Purdue in their career," said Colleen Brady, who netted the game-winning goal in overtime.

Senior goalkeeper Lauren Robertson posted her third consecutive shutout against the Boilermakers for her 12^th of the season, a school record.  The native of Mission Viejo, Calif., was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season for her outstanding play.

COUGARS IN CONTROL

No. 21 BYU stretched its unbeaten streak to 12 games with a 3-0 win over Air Force in Mountain West Conference play as the Cougars maintained sole possession of first place in the league standings. 

The Cougars have shutout 11 opponents led by sophomore goalkeeper McKinzie Olson, who has collected a career-best 10 on the season.

BYU will play its final non-conference game on Oct. 28 at Weber State and conclude the regular season in a MWC match-up versus Wyoming on Oct. 31.

CONFERENCE CLINCHERS

Missouri claimed its first Big 12 regular season title after a resounding 5-0 victory over Nebraska on Oct. 25 as the Tigers improved to 7-0-3 in league play.  The Huskers entered the match-up as the fourth-best scoring offense in the nation (3.31 gpg).  It is the first Big 12 regular season title for any Missouri sports team since the softball program won in 1997.

Morehead State clinched at least a share of the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship with a 1-0 overtime victory over Eastern Illinois on Oct. 25 thanks to Stephanie Gildehaus' corner kick header.  It is the Eagles' first regular season crown in program history and gives them the right to host the OVC Tournament on Nov. 5-6, 8. 

Illinois State claimed the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title for the third consecutive season as the Redbirds blanked Drake, 2-0, on Oct. 25.  The Redbirds have won a program-record eight straight games, tying the 2001 squad.  This is ISU's seventh conference title.  The Redbirds look to remain unbeaten in MVC play as they travel to Missouri State to conclude the regular season on Oct. 29.

ONE MORE STEP

Following a 2-1 victory over Tulsa last week, No. 11 UCF grabbed at least a share of the Conference USA regular season championship for the third time in the last five years, and the Knights can still challenge for their first outright league title since winning the Atlantic Sun crown in 2003.

The Knights will enter their regular season final versus Southern Miss on Oct. 30 on an eight-game winning streak.  UCF has picked up four straight one-goal wins for the first time in school history.

A LONG TRIP

Defending NCAA champion North Carolina's trip to the Sunshine State last week was certainly no vacation as the Tar Heels suffered back-to-back losses in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time since 2000 and only the second time in program history.  UNC fell to Florida State, 3-2, in double overtime on Oct. 22, and then surrendered at Miami, 1-0, on Sunday. 

The Tar Heels' three ACC losses match the 2000 team for the most in a season, a squad that went on to win the ACC Tournament and NCAA title.  UNC looks to get back on the winning track as it hosts Clemson in the final regular season contest on Oct. 29.

Thursday, October 22

No. 2 North Carolina at No. 7 Florida State, 6 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Florida) GT

No. 15 Virginia Tech at No. 5 Wake Forest, 7 p.m. ET GT

No. 17 LSU at No. 12 Florida, 7 p.m. ET GT

Friday, October 23

No. 1 Stanford at No. 23 Washington State, 3 p.m. PT GT

Sunday, October 25

No. 10 South Carolina at No. 17 LSU, 2 p.m. CT (ESPNU) Live Stats

No. 18 Purdue at No. 19 Ohio State, 1 p.m. ET Live Stats

Missouri is in the driver's seat of the Big 12 Conference race as it enters the final stretch, and the Tigers' solid senior class is using its' past experiences to stay on top of the league standings.

The group of six four-year seniors - midfielders Bree Thorton and Meghan Pfeiffer, defender Crystal Wagner (pictured), forwards Michelle Collins and Kristin Andrighetto, and goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore - are the winningest senior class in school history (.642) despite a rough start in their freshman year.  The first season they posted a 10-9 overall record, but went 2-8 in league play and did not qualify for the Big 12 tournament.

"When they were freshmen, they were very talented and played right away," said head coach Bryan Blitz.  "They're high achievers.  They did struggle their freshman year and I think that's the reason they've been successful the last three seasons.  Sometimes, freshmen don't play a lot right away and don't get to experience the highs and the lows.  I think that hardened them as a group and helped them be more determined that they would continue to get better and make a difference in the future."

Read the whole feature here: 

After a convincing 4-0 victory over No. 15 USC on Oct. 16, the Cardinal ended third-ranked UCLA's 22-game conference winning streak with a 2-0 victory against the Bruins on Sunday.  The two wins in Pac-10 play put Stanford ahead in the Pac-10 standings with a perfect 4-0-0 mark, while the squad improved to 15-0-0 overall, as the Cardinal seeks their first league title since 2002.

It was the Cardinal's first win over the six-time defending champion Bruins (12-2-1, 3-1-0) since 2002 and first at home in the series since 1999.   Stanford goes on the road to Washington and Washington State this weekend looking to remain the only flawless team in Division I women's soccer.

Portland cruised to its third consecutive shutout against WCC competition, blanking Loyola Marymount, 4-0, on Sunday as the Pilots stretched their winning streak to seven games.  Two days earlier, the Pilots downed Pepperdine, 6-0.  UP has outscored its' three league opponents 17-0.

Senior Michelle Enyeart (pictured left) combined for three goals and three assists in the two league wins, earning TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.  She ranks second on the squad with 33 points on 11 goals and 11 assists.  Portland's defense, led by goalkeeper Kelsey Davis (0.48 GAA), has posted 10 shutouts in 15 games this year. 

"We're rolling right now and we're playing really well," said Portland head coach Garrett Smith. "It's great when you can score as many goals as we did on the road. Today was just another great performance, our energy was good and the whole team played well."

The Pilots continue WCC play this weekend, hosting Saint Mary's and San Francisco.

TV TILTS:  No. 9 Florida State remained in contention for the ACC regular season title with a resounding 5-1 win over Clemson last week, while No. 2 North Carolina edged Virginia, 2-1, to stay ahead in the league standings.  The Seminoles will host the Tar Heels on Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET, in a key ACC match-up.  Florida State is 8-0-0 at home this year, and is riding a school-record 13-game home winning streak.  The game will be broadcast live on FS Florida.

With South Carolina's first loss of the season to Georgia last weekend and a win over Mississippi State, LSU moved into a tie with the Gamecocks for first place (19 points) in the league standings.  Florida follows with 17 points, while Georgia is in fourth place with 15 points.  The Tigers return to action at Florida on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. ET, and then host South Carolina on Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. CT in a contest that will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

CHIPPING AWAY:  Central Michigan's 1-0 win over Western Michigan on Sunday extended its winning streak to 11 - all of which have been shutouts.  The Chippewas are now 8-0 in Mid-American Conference play for the first time in school history. 

CMU is the fifth team in NCAA history to post 11 consecutive shutouts and the first since Santa Clara, who set an NCAA record with 16 straight shutouts, in 1998. The Chippewas have compiled 13 shutouts this season, tying Bowling Green's 2008 MAC record. CMU has not been scored on in 1027:26.

Central Michigan needs one more victory to claim its first regular season MAC title in school history. The Chippewas will host Bowling Green on Oct. 23 to attempt the feat.

Attention shifts to the West Coast this weekend as Pac-10 Conference play gets interesting as the four nationally-ranked California powers collide over the weekend.  No. 1 Stanford, No. 3 UCLA, No. 15 USC and No. 17 California are all 2-0 in league play after the first weekend and will be battling for position in the Pac-10 standings in four crucial games.

Friday, October 16

UCLA at California, 3:30 p.m.
USC at Stanford, 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 18

UCLA at Stanford, 1 p.m.

USC at California, 1 p.m.

No. 1 Stanford paces the nation in scoring with 3.69 goals per game led by Kelley O'Hara (15) and Christen Press (12) -- the nation's most productive scoring tandem.  No other school has two players with more than eight. The Cardinal brings a perfect 13-0-0 record into the weekend as they host USC and UCLA, which have won nine and 11 straight games, respectively.

After starting the season 1-3, No. 15 USC has reeled off nine consecutive victories.  All three Trojan losses were to teams now nationally ranked by NSCAA: No. 25 Ohio State, No. 17 Texas A&M and No. 22 St. John's.

Third-ranked UCLA brings a 21-match Pac-10 winning streak into the weekend, a stretch that dates back to 2006 when Oregon defeated the Bruins, 2-1, in double overtime.  UCLA has beaten Stanford six straight times with the last Cardinal win coming in 2002, while the Bruins have won four consecutive meeting against Cal, outscoring the Golden Bears 11-1 over the four games.

After a 0-2-1 skid two weeks ago, Cal got back on the winning track with victories at Oregon and Oregon State last weekend.  Alex Morgan netted goals in both games, and leads the Golden Bears in scoring with 10 goals and four assists.

"The games this weekend provide us with the stiffest of tests," said Cal head coach Neil McGuire. "Both UCLA and USC are excellent teams and we look forward to the challenge. We have had a good week of practice, are getting healthier and are looking forward the competition."